A council ordered a taxi firm to take Remembrance poppies and 'Lest We Forget' signs from its vehicles after a single complaint.
Neil McLennan, who owns iCars on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent, put the memorial logos on his 11-strong fleet two years ago to honour veterans. But following a complaint to Swale Borough Council (SBC), Neil was called by an officer and ordered to remove them under a policy prohibiting advertising and football stickers.
According to the council policy, no signs "other than those specifically approved by the Council" are allowed to be displayed on the vehicle - with "radio stickers, football sticks or any other signs" specifically banned.
Driver's response to the order
After removing the symbols "under duress", Neil says he has now received support from outraged customers and residents. The 55-year-old said: "I've got a lot of friends and family that have been in different wars and have served."
"Probably the biggest thing for me was back in the late '80s - my wife and I were both at a Rotaracts conference and Simon Weston was there. In the Falklands War he was quite badly burnt, he had massive, massive burns all over him. He's been my inspiration through life, really."
"We need to support these veterans that do so much for us. Without them we wouldn't be the country we are, we wouldn't be the world we are."
Council's position and next steps
The taxi driver of 20 years says SBC has agreed to arrange a meeting later this year to look again at the policy - but he says it doesn't help the situation now. He said he thinks firms should be able to support causes that are close to their heart on their vehicles.
Neil added: "People that support gay pride and stuff - if that's a strong belief you have, what's the problem with saying 'I put my hand up for these guys'."
"Why can't we support them? Why can't we show our allegiance? We should be able to show our allegiance to these causes."
Local Labour MP Kevin McKenna called for the council to take a different approach, writing on Facebook: "iCars do incredible work for the island, providing an important and reliable taxi service for everyone, while also offering an invaluable service to people with disabilities."
"They do not deserve to be penalised in this way, and I'll be doing everything I can to help find a fair resolution."
SBC said: "Our licencing team has been allowing the use of the poppy and the Royal British Legion sticker on iCars' taxis. However, following a complaint, we checked the use against our policy, and it is not permitted under our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy."
"The policy was most recently updated and agreed in 2025 by our Licensing Committee and Policy and Resources Committee, following a public consultation which included feedback from the taxi industry."
"The issue is not about the poppy or the Royal British Legion, which the council supports, but the fact that we received a complaint that the vehicle was not complying with our policy."
"We are aware that iCars has removed the sticker and poppy and we are scheduling a Licensing Sub-Committee meeting to discuss iCars' request for an exemption from the policy."
"The next Licensing Committee meeting will look at the policy to make sure that there is clarity on this issue."
